1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to bar code labels, such as for optical scanning and sorting, and more particularly, pertains to a bar code disabling system for disabling the bar code on a reusable shipping container so that the container will not be optically scanned and subsequently sorted, such as to the wrong destination because a previous bar code had not been removed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art bar codes have generally been left on containers, until the time of next use for the container. The label needed to adhere well enough to stay on the shipping container during container use yet be readily removable. The removal of the bar code label being the method used to destroy the bar code information.
Extremes of temperature, passage of time, and the compaction of container surfaces acted to bond some bar code labels permanently to some containers. Thus consistent and predictable removal of the old bar code could not be accomplished. Frequently an old bar code label bearing valid information would be left on a container when a new label was applied.
What would happen is that during the sorting of a container, the old bar code would sometimes be read instead of the new bar code label and so the container would be misdirected to the wrong destination. This would cause delay of the container and contents and sometimes loss of revenues.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a bar code disabling system for removing bar code information sufficient to destroy the validity of the bar code. The system is self contained within the label.